


Home is where you rest your head

by Rae_Saxon



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Because the Doctor's way of reform SUCKS, F/M, Gallifrey, Reforming Master!, Some Timeless Child issues that they sort out, action plot with romance, all by himself, because I needed that, but romance in focus, i think, tiny au, very fluffy soft romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:46:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25204177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rae_Saxon/pseuds/Rae_Saxon
Summary: Gallifrey is in a civil war that threats to spread out into the universe. A powerful orb as appeared, corrupting the Time Lords. The Doctor can't ignore it any longer and comes to help the fight, but gets betrayed by her friends. It becomes clear quickly that it's just her and the Master against the world. And the Master turns out to be a surprisingly good partner, for once.(Gallifrey isn't destroyed, everything else that happened in S12 happened, though!)
Relationships: The Doctor | Theta Sigma/The Master | Koschei (Doctor Who: Academy Era), The Doctor/The Master (Doctor Who), Thirteenth Doctor/The Master (Dhawan)
Comments: 19
Kudos: 87





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I know what you're thinking "Oh no, Resa is starting her 20th project they will then never finish!" but hah, joke's on you, because this is already finished! I've split it into 5 parts, mostly because a) no one is gonna read a whole 8000 words story and b) there is a dramatic line that really works best with a chapter switch and I'm SO looking forwards to it lmao It'll have daily updates though!

She had not known what she would find on Gallifrey when she had finally set in the coordinates. The news, the rumours of a civil war, the traces of oppression and rebellion, the consequences on the universe, they had followed her where ever she went, haunted her, beckoned her home, when it had always been the last place she had wanted to go, the one kind of trouble she had wanted no investment in.

But in the end, the Doctor knew she had to do something.

Tales of the orb had reached her, in the end. Tale of an almost magical artefact, giving them more power than a person could bear, corrupting them to no end. Tales of a little group, planning to destroy it, whatever sacrifice it took.

And now, here she was, in a little hole in the middle of the Gallifreyan forests, surrounded by a little group of rebels, the last resistance against the growing power of the power hungry Time Lords, currently taking over the surrounding galaxy by force.

An unlikely group of alliances, full of people like Romana, who she had heavily expected to fight against all of it in the middle of action, to Braxiatel, who she had been very unsure about, to someone, who she, in all fairness, wouldn't have expected to fight for what is right in a million years.

“You don't need her.”

She froze before turning around, knowing exactly who she was going to see and still, the blazing look on his face, the fierce determination sparkling in his eyes, hit her completely unexpected.

She knew that expression, but not on this face, hadn't seen it on any of his faces in a long, long time.

“I'll do it.”

Romana looked taken aback for a moment but if she was shocked of him finding their secret lair and coming in without any kind of problem, she wouldn't let it show. She simply glanced at the Doctor, once, before turning towards the Master.

“You?”

“She's not gonna do it,” he claimed, pointing at her with a swift move of his arm. “Don't you see that? She doesn't care.”

“Doesn't care?” Romana sneered. “She's the Doctor. Caring is all she does.”

The Master snorted.

“Right, like she cared about me? You must know by now that she only cares for as long as you're worth it. You think Gallifrey is? The planet that used, abused and then tossed her aside?”

The Doctor stood silent, a painful knot forming in her stomach. He didn't accuse her. He sounded like he understood. Like he was simply stating the weather. Somehow, that only made it worse.

Doubt flickered over Romana's face.

“Her revenge is as cold as ice and her rage burns holes through your chest. Believe me. I know. I know better than anyone else.”

Again, Romana glanced at the Doctor, but she made no move to refute any of his points, just stood, silently demonstrating her protest, still.

Romana sighed.

“And we're supposed to believe you care?”

“It's my home,” the Master spoke, very quietly. “It might be a home that never wanted me, it might be a home full of power-crazed lunatics ready to use and torment me, but... my home it is.” He gave the Doctor a little side glance. “It has never been hers, though, no matter what they made us believe. So if anyone should do it, it's me.”

Romana seemed to consider this for a moment, then let her shoulders sink, before holding out her hand with the detonator.

“Wait... what?” the Doctor spluttered, before he could take it. “Wait. Stop. I'll... I'll do it.”

They both turned towards the Master.

“You want to do it _now_?” he asked, in disbelief.

Something rushed over Romana's face, so quickly, she couldn't identify it.

“It seems we were both wrong, Master,” she stated calmly, before lowering her hand and handing him the detonator. “She does care about you after all.”

He stood, stunned, for a minute, before taking it.

“Why are you... I thought you wanted me to do it!” the Doctor called, sounding desperate now.

“You don't want _him_ to go in and die,” Romana replied calmly. “But that still is no guarantee for me that you'll save _Gallifrey_.” She turned towards the Master, who still stood frozen in place, his hand clutching the detonator, as he stared emptily ahead. “You're our only chance now. I wouldn't put our people's fate in your hands if you weren't. Don't disappoint us.”

With that, she left, leaving them alone. The Doctor was trembling slightly, the Master, however, was clutching the detonator against his chest, then started moving.

“Master!” she called out to him, desperate to stop him, but he kept on walking. “Wait, listen, please... Master... Mas...-” But she realised then, realised from the determination in his step, the way he held his head high, the memory of his blazing eyes still freshly on her mind, who she was really talking to.

“ _Koschei_!”

He stopped dead in his tracks, standing still, his back still turned to her.

“Why? Why would you kill yourselves for them?”

“I told you. This is my home.”

She shook her head, stepping closer to him, gripping his shoulder, but he stumbled away from her before finally turning around to face her, as if he was afraid she'd tear the detonator off his hands.

“This has never been your home,” she whispered, from a step afar from him, shoulders sunken. “We weren't home here.”

“But I was, Doctor! I _was_! I grew up here and I hated it, I hated every second of it, but it was my home and I dreamed of changing it, making it better, long before I became... who I am now. And I want to fight for those dreams again. I really do. I want to become who I... I don't even know.” He tore at his dark hair, trying to find the right words. “I just know I can't keep on basing my identity on you, because look where it leads me. One second you want me to be the hero, then that's wrong, too. I can't... I have to find myself again. That boy I used to be, who wanted nothing but a better world. That's what I wanted control for. I can do that, now. I have a chance to actually do that. Do you understand that?”

He stared at her almost pleadingly and the Doctor felt her hearts sink. His mind was long made up.

He seemed to be waiting for her to say something, but for once in her life, the Doctor was speechless, still wringing for words as he walked off, a mix of frustration and disappointment on his face as he turned her back on her.

“Wait,” she wanted to call, but it came out too late, when he had long left, her voice broken and quiet. “Koschei.”

The atmosphere was tense as they waited, the only one still talking and moving being Romana. “We have to make precautions. New plans. We can't count on the Master to do anything selfless.”

The Doctor looked up, the first time in hours, her arm resting on her knee. She hadn't moved from this spot, hadn't stopped brooding and waiting for all this time, but now her hearts were filling with fresh rage, making her come back alive.

“He's gone to sacrifice himself for a planet that has never, ever wanted him and you're standing here, trying to say you can't count on him?”

“Well, we can't, can we? He's not the most trustworthy of people.”

“He's dying. For you. Probably right now. If it's not already done!”

“Not like he's a great loss for our people.”

The Doctor flinched back as if physically hit, staring at Romana with fresh indignity as she jumped up to her feet.

“Say that again,” she spat. “Say that in my face.”

Romana straightened her shoulders, but she could see the little gulp, could see it get stuck in her throat before she cleared it with a little cough.

“He's not a great loss. For our. People,” she repeated, with venom.

The Doctor was boiling, her hands clenching to fists as she started shouting.

“He recognised what they were, he always did. When we were kids, I dreamed of running away and he dreamed of running this planet, of making it better. He's out there, giving up that chance, for all of you, giving himself up, for you. And you have the audacity to say that?”

“He...”

“He's a product of what this place made him!” she cried out. “He poured in his soul and came out broken and ill and instead of healing him, they tossed him to the side, after all they'd done to him. And now...” Her eyes widened with a mixture of sadness and frustration. “Now I see what this place has done to you, too. It's sucking everything good out of everyone who managed to keep some.”

“Doctor, we all know of your specific soft spot for megalomanic villains, but...”

“I loved him, you know? And I loved you. But somehow... every time I love someone, they seem to end up freezing to death. Maybe I am the problem... Maybe...” She wrapped her arms around herself, then shook her head wildly. “I need some air.”

She rushed out of the lair, into the wilderness of the Gallifreyan forests, through the trees and thorns that were tearing at her clothes, until she found the one spot she could bear to look at right now, the spot they had always gone to together, in the middle of it all, secluded, quiet, peaceful.

She laid down on the grass, crying, not noticing the shadow that had followed her.


	2. Chapter 2

The Master watched her quietly, for quite some while. He had known where he would find her after she had stormed off, had known she would wait for him here, whether he would be able to return to her or not. Her words had left a swilling balloon of pride and warmth in his chest, right between his hearts, making him feel ridiculously giddy, despite the news he brought.

The red grass crunched beneath his feet, but she didn't seem to register it. Nothing seemed to get through to her right now, and he let himself fall down beside her, his hand still clutched to his side, where blood steadily seeped through his blue shirt.

“Appreciate your dramatics, love, always worth the money, but ironically, I think I could really use a Doctor right now.”

She jumped up immediately, her beautiful eyes widening as she took him in.

“You're okay!” she called, then stopped herself, gaze wandering down to where he was still holding his side. “You're hurt!”

He gave her a crooked smile.

“Nothing too bad. Still might need a little bandage.”

She blinked.

“But you're... you're...”

“In one piece?” he offered helpfully.

“The orb. Didn't you make it?”

“Oh no,” he replied bitterly. “I very much made it.”

And to her utter horror, he let his hand disappear into the depths of his coat, to pull out a glowing, red orb, radiating heat and power.

The Doctor's mouth fell open and she gasped.

“Put it back inside, are you crazy!” She looked left and right frantically. “You were supposed to destroy it! Carrying that much power around with you....”

“I tried destroying it,” he hissed back. “But the detonator is a fake.”

“What?”

He pulled it out, held it right in front of her face and clicked the button several times, his eyes numb as he took in her reaction.

“Nothing. Nada. Niente. It was a trap, Doctor.”

“A trap? But... but...” He saw understanding dawning in her eyes but he had to say it, had to make sure she knew, really, really knew.

“They were trying to kill you, Doctor. It was a death mission. Guards had me circled as soon as I got in. They knew I was coming.”

“But why would they... they're my...”

She stopped herself, sadness deeply buried inside her eyes.

She knew as well as he did, that nothing could stop Time Lords to commit murders in the name of power.

“You believe me, right?”

His voice was suddenly very quiet and it snapped her out of her dark thoughts. She got up quickly, helping him back to his feet.

“Of course I believe you.”

He blinked, surprised at that admission.

“Why?”

“Come on,” the Doctor replied, not meeting his gaze. “Let's get that wound fixed up.”

He stopped her with a swift grab of her hand.

“Doctor.”

She turned around to him, her brows furrowed.

“I don't know, I just do, alright? You... changed.”

“I'm trying.”

“Why? Why now?”

He shrugged.

“I think it was always something I had to do without you, you know? For... for the right reasons.” He gave her a sad little smile. “As long as you are involved, my reasons were always rather... egoistical.”

“Well, you're on a good way...” They passed her TARDIS and the Doctor was good, she was so good at hiding the little flinch that overcame her when she saw it being guarded, but he caught it anyway.

“Just never do that again, okay?” she mumbled, as he laid an arm around her hips, partly to steady himself and partly to lead her towards his own TARDIS.

“There's just no pleasing you.”

She pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, lingering for a second and he could feel his skin tingle as every pore seemed to scream out in relief of finally, finally feeling her on him again.

“I'm just glad you're alive,” she whispered. “I really, really am. I don't want you to die for them. Not ever.”

They walked into his TARDIS, closing the door behind them quickly, careful not to let anyone see them. This was it, this was the reality of all they had already known as children.

It was them against the world.

She fixed his wound up quickly and efficiently. He'd always been a whining patient, complaining about every part of it and gasping demonstratively, but she found she didn't mind it all too much right now, because right now, “absolutely very him” was absolutely very much what she needed.

“It's not too deep,” she muttered as she pulled his shirt back down over the bandages. “Should be fine in a couple of hours. Still nasty. Striving bullet?”

He nodded courtly, his hand halting for a second, as he put his coat back on, before he pulled out the orb with gleaming eyes.

“You should probably... take it.” He held it towards her, but the Doctor bit her lips and flinched back.

“No, I think.. I mean, you were the one who... who took it...”

“I can't be trusted with power.”

The Doctor shook her head, heavily.

“I... I can't be either. You know that. I just can't.”

He gave her a little knowing smile, then pressed a kiss to her temple, before putting it back into his inside pocket.

“I know. Just wanted to see your stupid face.”

The Doctor snarled at him.

“It's not funny.”

“I know,” he sighed. “But bloody hell, Doctor... what are we going to do?”

They looked at each other for a quiet moment, then the Doctor shrugged.

“I guess we do what we do best.”

He looked clueless.

“Sex?”

The Doctor couldn't help but suppress a little snort, but her next word still lay heavy on her tongue, made her forget all about laughing, swallowed it right up.

“Genocide.”


	3. Chapter 3

The Master shook his head, looking amused.

“You know, I do appreciate a good genocide every now and then, but maybe there's a... less soul-crushing plan on your part?”

“The whole planet's corrupt, Master. You've seen it. Our biggest allies sent you into a death trap yourself. They won't stop, they won't ever stop, even if we manage to keep this thing safe. They won't stop until they have absolute power over the universe. We can't let them. We just can't.”

“No, yeah, I get that,” he mumbled. “But I do vividly remember the last time we killed them all off. I am not exactly hell-bent on seeing you like this again. Plus, I've just turned away from my genocidal phase, in case you haven't noticed. Bit crass, offering heroin to a junkie.”

“You've got a better plan then?”

The Master's eyes glittered in a way that told her, yes, he believed he did.

Oh dear, she really shouldn't have asked.

“Coincidentally – I have.”

 _Sure you do_ , she thought. _Of course. And they always turn out so great._

The Master grinned widely, his still gleaming eyes widening.

“Revolution.”

“Revolution?” she gave back with a frown.

He nodded eagerly.

“Just like when we were kids, remember? How I gathered these people, made my plans....”

“And then committed a few murders too many and got exiled from the planet? Yeah. I remember.”

“Yeah, well, it went wrong. Not this time though. This time _you're_ on board!”

“Master, I just don't know...”

He rushed closer towards her, gripping her shoulders.

“It's not the whole planet, Doctor. It's never been the whole planet, because it was never involved, they never even bothered looking at them, just how they never bothered including them. Just like us,” he spit, hatefully.

She frowned.

“What are you talking about?”

“Gallifreyans,” he laughed. “The citizens of our beautiful planet. The common folk. Non-Time Lords. Whatever you want to call them. People oppressed, tossed aside for centuries, people with voices, people who this planet should truly belong to. That's how it works, right? That's what I've seen you do. Common people, overthrowing fascist governments? That's how it goes!”

“Oh,” the Doctor made, staring at him for a few seconds, contemplating this. It was... ridiculously... a very Doctor-y plan.

She smiled.

“I suppose... it's worth a try?”

“That's right!” He kissed her lips, excitedly, leaving her stunned, and when he tore away from her, he looked at her worried for a second, but then she smiled.

“Okay but.. how do we do this?”

“We do what _you_ do best,” the Master gave back with a crooked smile.

The Doctor frowned, but he simply gave her a cheeky wink.

“Talk.”

“Lo and behold,” they heard calls when they materialised in the middle of the battered old village near the towns borders. “The gracious Time Lords have come to gift us with their precious time. What is it now? Higher taxes?”

The Doctor swooped out of the TARDIS with a swish of her coat, leaving the Master to follow her a bit more cautious, his side still hurting and his gaze wary on the crowd that quickly gathered around them.

“No,” the Doctor announced quickly. “I know you have been treated unfairly. I know I should've cared about it sooner. I am sorry that I didn't.”

People were murmuring, angry, bitter sounds filling the air around them.

The Doctor took a deep breath, sweating nervously, but before she could panic and turn around and explain to the Master that she wasn't quite as good as she used to be at talking, not in this body, she could feel his hand in hers, reassuringly, so, _so_ familiar.

“I'm the Doctor,” she called into the crowd. “This is the Master. We're here to help. To... to fight with you. If you're willing to.”

There was still murmuring around them, but the sounds had changed. She could hear her own name, echoed around the village.

An old woman stepped forwards.

“You're the Doctor?”

She nodded, nervously.

“We have heard stories about you, child. They say you're a hero. A hero anywhere but here.”

She gulped.

“I focused on getting as much distance between me and the Time Lords as possible. And I forgot to help fix the grievances on my own planet. I'm sorry.”

“Your planet...” the old woman replied, thoughtfully. “Where is your planet, Timeless Child?”

The Doctor flinched, he could physically feel her recoil from the woman's very words and clutched her hand a little tighter.

“You... what do you know?” she asked immediately and the woman gave her a sad smile.

“You were only a baby when they brought you here. And still a baby when they took you.”

“You... you... you were here?”

“I'm an old woman, older than most people think. I have guarded the Flame for centuries. As I have guarded you, my child, for as long as they would allow me.”

“So do... do you know where I came from? What happened? Anything?”

Another sad smile.

“I know you were loved, by everyone in this village, as our own. We swore to protect you. These people might have never met you, but they still know the tales and they know who you are, for this planet. Legends as old as time itself, telling of you being our salvation. But for me... you're just that sweet child who always got her hair pulled.”

“Hair pulled? I... what?”

The woman giggled.

“You came with a boy. A baby too, taken a day before you were. Always fighting, the two of you, at such a young age. Pulling and pushing each other. Koschei, we called him. Did you ever find him again?”

The Master's hand dropped out of hers, all feelings in his arms seemed to have left as he stood, stiffly, staring.

“What?”

His voice wasn't more than a breath.

“I see,” the woman replied with a smile. “Both our children have returned to us today. They brought you both here. Said you'd lost your memories. Had to start again. That it would be safer for us all to not tell you anything about where you came from. The Eternal Child, we called you.”

“Where do I come from?” she asked, her lips dry and the woman sighed.

“Oh, they never said. I doubt they ever knew themselves.”

“But.... I...” the Master stammered, still completely transfixed. “I can't.. be that... surely I can't be that old. I don't even... understand.”

“They said when she had lost her memories... you couldn't bear it and deleted your own. Resetted your own life to start again with her.”

“I can't be that old!” he called out. “I don't have as many regenerations, I don't...”

But his gaze met the Doctor's and he fell silent immediately, completely speechless at the quiet love and understanding in her eyes. She knew, somehow, she knew what had happened and when the woman gave him a little smile, he understood that she did too.

“Love springs eternal, my boy. As does the love of the Eternal Child.”

“You gave me from your energy...” he mumbled and she shrugged.

“Probably.”

“You're not surprised by this?”

“What? That the first friend I ever had, who accidentally killed me over a toy is, of all people, you? Not particularly. Sounds very much like you.”

He rolled his eyes.

“That you'd willingly share your energy with me.”

“Oh,” the Doctor grinned, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Nah.”

They were, it turned out, quite willing to fight to make their voices heard. The Doctor's impression was that they had only waited for her to finally turn up and demand them to. Weapons were distributed, but nobody seemed violent, chants were sung, people were gathered and she watched with growing fascination, as the Master was in the middle of it all, being asked for advice, joked around with, sitting on the fires with mead and bread, exchanging stories of adventures.

He looked... happy. The thorn, the sting she had always seen behind his eyes, removed at last, as he sat around them, unbothered for once.

Like he had truly returned home.

“Silly old me,” she whispered to the old lady one day. “All he ever needed was to be accepted. And I just couldn't get it right, could I?”

The woman smiled. “Time Lords and their silly concepts of time. There is no time like the present, don't you know that?”

The Doctor huffed.

“I s'ppose. Sometimes we do get caught up a little in past and future, don't we?”

“Sometimes,” the woman replied in a tone that very much implied “sometimes” was equivalent with “always” in her language.

The Doctor walked towards the Master, sitting down with her back to his, enjoying the noon suns on her skin in their last moments of peace together.

“These people,” he said, after a while of sitting quietly with her. “I don't want them to get hurt.”

“I know,” the Doctor replied calmly. “Me neither.”

He turned his head towards her slightly.

“So we'll protect them, yeah?”

She smiled indulgently.

“Don't make the same mistake they do, Master. These people don't need Time Lord protection, they don't need us to tower above them. They've got each other.”

He looked around, at the people practising to fight with a smile on their lips.

“Yeah,” he sighed. “I know. But I'm... I meant that in like... a good way.”  
  
“I know,” the Doctor smiled. “They like you, you know?”

He frowned, then nodded.

“Hey, Thete?”

She turned towards him with a roll of her eyes.

“Yeah?”  
  
“Sorry for shoving you down a cliff. Apparently.”

The Doctor laughed.

“Thank you, for never leaving my side.”

They looked into each other's eyes quietly and the Doctor thought, for a second, of nothing but getting lost in his. They were so different in this body, she had noticed before, despite not having wanted to. So much warmer, with so much more feelings he, for some reason, had stopped being afraid to show. She could look at them for ages and never get bored of the love swimming inside right now.

Suddenly, she felt his breath on her lips and realised that their heads had drifted closer together all on their own accord. Their lips were almost touching and her eyelids slipped closed, but before they could kiss, she flinched back, a little cry escaping her.

“What?” the Master asked, looking taken aback. “I thought...”

“No, yes, I... Ouch! Don't you feel it? It's hurting.”

The Master looked down at himself, pulling out the glowing orb between them, then almost let it fall. The Doctor caught it with a swift movement, placing it in the grass between them.

“It's burning hot, what is going on?”

“I'm not... sure...”

The Doctor chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully, leaning over the orb, trying to find out if something was wrong.

Neither of them noticed the old woman stepping up behind them.

“There's nothing to be scared of, my children.”

The Master replied instantly, not even looking up, his gaze still on the orb in strong fascination.

“We're not scared.”

The Doctor watched him with a frown.

“I'm a little scared, actually,” she replied quietly, placing a finger beneath his chin to raise his gaze to her. His eyes flickered back downwards, just for a moment, but she saw. She turned towards the old woman, who sat down next to them.

“Do you know what this is? How they got it?”

“I know that I am glad it's not in their possession anymore. I'm not sure which chance we would have stood with a power like this against us.”

“We're not sure what to do with it,” the Doctor said with a sigh. “It seems to have completely corrupted all our friends.” She gave the Master a quick side glance. “And we're both not... secure enough to guard it ourselves.”

“Guarding,” the woman sighed. “Such a Time Lord word to use. You believe a power like this needs guarding?”

The Doctor looked into the glow thoughtfully. She thought about the things she had seen in the Matrix, about dying again and again, killed by the greed of a woman craving eternal life.

“Yes. I think it does. People will always try to exploit it.” She looked up at the wrinkled, kind face. “Maybe you could... I mean, if you've guarded the flame...”

“Oh no, my child,” the woman replied with a smile. “I think this power, whatever it is, needs to be brought home.” She took the Doctor's hands, enclosed them with her own. “And I think you ought to be the one to bring it there. And who knows, maybe you find your own on the way.”

The Master looked up, finally, clearing his throat a little alarmed.

“You think they're connected?”

“I think it's not from this universe,” the woman replied calmly and brushed the Doctor's cheek with a finger. “And neither are you.”

She stood up and walked back to her hut, leaving the Doctor staring into the fire thoughtfully and the Master staring at her with a dark glare.

She caught it after a little while, giving him a shaky little smile.

“It'd be nice. Finding out where I came from. If there are more people... like me.”

“I'm like you,” he shot out, immediately and she saw his hands trembling. “What else do you need?”

“I'm not going anywhere without you,” she promised, because she knew it was what he needed to hear and she was surprised with the determination that came with that promise, as it made her straighten up, eyes gleaming. “But Gallifrey... it's never felt like a home. That's why I had to leave, you know? I just felt alone in a world where nobody thought like me, nobody understood my demons. I felt like all that mattered to everyone was the exact opposite of what truly mattered. If there's a whole planet of people... people feeling like me... I've never found it. Earth might have been the closest i got, in this universe.”

She looked back down on the orb, suddenly feeling a warmth radiate from it that felt so different from the burning heat it seemed to have spread before. It felt like... home....

“Doctor,” the Master replied, tone almost pleadingly. “Let's... let's focus on saving this home first, yeah, before we think about finding you a new one.”

“Us,” she replied, eyes flinching back up to him. “I mean it. I'm not going anywhere without you, no matter how long.”

She took his hands.

“I just want answers. I just need to know. It's not like I'll... I'll want to stay or anything.”

He looked down on their fingers, intertwined and sighed, raising his other hand to gently trace over the skin of the back of her hand.

“I'd stay with you, there, if you wanted to. I would.”

“I know,” she whispered and sighed.

He would and he'd hate every second of it, worry every single moment that someone more like her would entrance her, would be stuck in a world where everyone was so incredibly different from the way he thought, as she always had.

There was no way she would do that to him. If that meant they were doomed to travel together forever, in a state of eternal restlessness.... well, that was a price she'd be willing to pay, just as he would be ready to stay with her in another universe...

“We'll think about it later,” she promised. “Whatever comes, we'll stay together. Right?”

“Right.” A tentative smile appeared on his face, before he flicked his eyes down to the orb, a playful tone in his voice, when she spoke again. “So are we allowed to kiss now or are you going to light a firework or something?”

She laughed.

“Oh you wanted to kiss me? And here I thought I had something between my tee...”

He crashed his lips against hers, pulling her closer with a gentle grip in her hair, his other hand lying loosely on the back of her neck. She sighed, before deepening the kiss, her eyes fluttering close and it felt... God, it felt like coming home. Screw the wrong universe, screw a glowing orb between them, screw everything, this was all she had ever needed and it had been way, way too long.

They kissed so long and deep, she felt herself getting dizzy, unsure if it was arousal or happiness or simple exhaustion overcoming her, but she didn't care. When they stopped, she simply rested her head on his shoulder, smiling up at him from the side, feeling hundreds of years younger all of a sudden.

The Master smiled back at her, complete devotion in those dark, expressive eyes of his, and he seemed to not even want to blink as he looked at her, an arm around her shoulders to hold her.

“Would you agree,” he asked and she could hear his voice tremble from suppressed laughter, “that we found love in a hopeless place?”

“Rihanna,” the Doctor sighed theatrically. “We're in a civil war and you're quoting Rihanna.”

“It's the first kiss we shared like this in centuries. I wanted to make it special.”

“I hate you.”

“Likewise, love.”

She gave him a quick kiss on the lips, just a peck, just to make sure he knew, absolutely knew, that she didn't hate him at all and his eyes softened a little, and his fingers ran over the back of her neck in gently circles and she figured that he probably knew.

It was such a peaceful night. It was almost scary to think about what would come tomorrow.

She wanted to tell him, wanted to tell him that for the first time going into battle, she felt like having something to lose, that she needed him to protect himself before all others, but she knew it was pointless. She knew, from the way he had changed, that he wouldn't listen, and at the same time... Hell, he had, apparently, erased his own memories and rebooted his life to be with her. He had risked a whole new start by her side, had haunted her through all her lives, intent to never, ever give up.

They'd be okay, somehow. She just knew it. They'd come out of this okay.


	4. Chapter 4

The Master was trembling. Suppressed rage was cursing through his veins, trying to overtake him, as it always did, knowing all his ways, all the easy, dark thoughts it had to explode inside his mind.

And he tried so hard, tried so hard not to listen, but people were dying, around them, people he had grown to care about. People he had laughed with yesterday, people barely older than children. Brutally murdered with more advanced weapons and technology.

They had led them into a slaughter, had somehow built on... what? The power of what was right? He should've known better, him of all people, but he had only... only tried to do the right thing.

The heat of his rage got more intense, burnt through his chest now, made his hearts ache, until he, finally, realised it was the orb, in his pocket. He flinched, pulling back from the Doctor by his side, who was screaming and trying to hold someone upright who was loosing a lot of blood.

He could end this. One little order, he realised, one little word, and the orb could end all of this. He could destroy them, burn them down, like they burnt down their friends.

It was as if a veil had fallen all around him, the sounds of the guns muffled, the screams tuned out. Tunnel vision. He put his hand into his pocket, his fingers closing around the glowing orb.

He could see the Doctor turn around to him, a worried look on her face that quickly turned into horror, but he couldn't hear her scream, could only see her mouth jumped open in what he could only assume was a loud “No!”

She would understand, surely, in time. He was doing this for her, too.

With a flaring, white light, everything stopped.

The Doctor stood on the battlefield, mouth open as she turned around herself, trying to take it all in.

“You shouldn't have done it!” she called, jumping towards the Master, who was stumbling, slowly loosing his balance. She caught him swiftly, held him upright.

“Master?” she asked, distress in her voice. “Master, are you alright?”

Sweat was pearling on his upper lip.

“Did it work?” he asked, dizzily and the Doctor frowned, looking up.

People around her were confused, looking around, lowering their weapons, as their opponents were frozen, completely unmoving, as if they had become statues of stone.

“Depends on what you planned?” she asked, her voice a low mutter and the Master swayed again.

“What is wrong with you?” she hissed, grasping him tighter.

The Master grimaced.

“I gave a telepathic command to freeze them in time. It did, but...” He groaned, as if in pain, and the Doctor understood.

“You have to keep it up right now?”

“Luckily,” he laughed, breathlessly. “I know how to be in two places at once.”

“Round them up!” the Doctor called, frantically, waving at their friends. “Tie them up, with everything you have. They won't stay that way. _Hurry_!”

They stared at her, for a moment, then started moving, doing as she told, running to their friends and brothers to spread the message and relief overcame the Doctor. It didn't last long. A look back at the Master showed that he was paling massively, his knees weakening, as only her grip kept him from falling to the floor.

She let him down to the ground gently, grasping his shoulders to keep him from falling down sideways.

“It's okay,” she muttered, a bad feeling in her stomach. “It's alright, you've got this. Only a little longer. You only gotta keep it up a little bit longer, okay?”

She let her fingers run through his hair, felt the sweat, wiped it away gently, trying not to cry. The exhaustion seemed to be killing him, one second at a time.

Without thinking, without any hesitation, the Doctor closed her eyes and laid her fingers on his temple.

She wasn't as skilled a telepath as he was, and so she simply let him guide her, but she could still feel his relief when a little extra energy radiated through him, and his hands out in the real world clung to her, knuckles going white.

He could've killed him, the Doctor realised with a start, tears filling her eyes. He could've killed them and it would've taken so much less effort. But here he was, fighting to keep _everyone_ alive.

 _Just for the record,_ she heard his voice inside her mind. _I was sorely tempted. And you should really keep this thing away from me when this is over._

She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him fully into her arms, kissing his forehead softly, wincing as she felt her energy – both their energy – slowly getting drained from them.

_I love you._

_Is this the right moment, Doctor?_

_It feels right. I love you._

_Idiot. If you're saying goodbye, I'll kill you personally. I'm not going anywhere._

She smiled.

_Not saying goodbye. Just saying I love you._

_Fine._

_Fine._

_I love you too._

_I know._

She was the first to pass out, of course she was. She gave her last bit of energy to him as she felt blackness overcome her. It was alright. They were going to be alright.

When she woke up again, he was lying underneath her, an arm wrapped around her back, her head resting on his chest. They were still on the battlefield but all fighting was over. Instead, it hard been turned into a med-bay. Injured were being fixed up, fallen soldiers cried over.

She could feel the Master's hearts beat beneath her ear and closed her eyes, feeling a wave of relief and gratitude run through her. She got up with swaying legs, feeling her head ache, but tried her best not to wake him up, as she walked up to the closest group of people.

“Time Lords,” she mumbled. “Where?”

“In their own prisons,” one of the young men replied with a grin. “We fried our people, held there as slaves...”

“You did?” the Doctor mumbled, stunned. In the corner of her eyes, she saw Romana, talking to some people, gesturing towards the Citadel.

She blinked.

The man followed her gaze.

“They came when we were tying them up. They helped, gave us stasis fields or whatever they're called. They said they could lead us to the prisons. Said they're your friends.”

“Were,” the Doctor mumbled, rubbing her forehead. “Are. I don't know. I'll have to...”

She felt herself stumbling, but all of a sudden, the Master was behind her, gripping her elbow, helping her steady herself.

“What are they doing here,” he growled, eyes fixed on Romana and her friends.

“Helping,” the Doctor mumbled back. “Allegedly.”

Without another word, he grabbed her arm and pulled her after her, walking up to Romana, who looked slightly alarmed when she caught sight of them.

She raised her hands quickly.

“Listen, please listen to me, we're here to help. I know what we did was wrong, but...”

“Like we want to hear your excuses,” the Master shouted. “You tried to kill both of us!”

Romana closed her eyes, looking pained. “I know. We weren't... ourselves. When we made the plan, it seemed so sensible. Instead of destroying it, we wanted the power for ourselves, wanted... but that wasn't our goal, I don't know what... what happened.”

The Master opened his mouth, ready to shout something back at her, but instead, he closed it again, looking at her through slitted eyes.

“It's that thing,” he finally muttered, all fight escaping him, his voice now letting through how tired he really was. “It... it does things to your mind...”

His eyes found the Doctor's, dark and wide.

“It's not good, Doctor. It promised them power, it made them crave it, I could feel it, I could feel it too, I would've almost... if this thing really comes from your home... it's not a good place.”

The Doctor looked at him, the desperation in his eyes, the pain in his voice and sighed.

She had felt it too, the lure of the orb, the desire to take it, to use it, hadn't she? She had wanted it to lead her home, lead her somewhere else...

“You're all back to yourselves, then?” she asked Romana, who nodded.

“I would hope so.”

“Good. Help these people. If someone can do it, it's you. You can start from the beginning. Sort it all out. A government for _everyone_. Not just Time Lords.”

Romana gave her a crooked grin.

“And I reckon you'll be off, to leave the ruins to me and blame me if it goes wrong after?”

“Naturally,” the Doctor gave back, raising her chin a little. “We already got involved more than was good anyone. We almost fell for this... this thing. We need to bring as much distance to all of this as possible. But these people... they're good. They're good people. And maybe they can save this rotten shell of a planet.”

Romana smiled.

“I'll do my best. Doctor, I'm really so...”

“Forget about it,” she interrupted her with a quick wave. “Make it up but taking care of them.”

Romana nodded.

“And tell them goodbye from us.”

She grabbed the Master's hand, tightly. “We'll be back to look after them. We will be. But right now... we need to be away.”

Pulling him behind her, she started walking. One foot after another, as fast as they both could manage, holding each other all throughout the way, catching each other whenever the other threatened to fall.


	5. Chapter 5

“What are we going to do?” the Master whispered, as they reached the Doctor's deserted TARDIS in the middle of the forest.

“Throw it into an exploding sun and see who wins,” the Doctor replied darkly. “I don't want this anywhere near us anymore. It almost killed you. It almost killed this universe.”

“I think it might win over the sun, you know?” the Master replied darkly. “It's like a curse. It's here now, with no way to get rid of it.”

The Doctor thought about that, for a long while. The familiarity of her old TARDIS made her feel better, the humming and the warmth sent through their link making her feel more at home than she had felt in a while. She had, what, wanted to follow this thing to find _her_ people? When all she had ever needed was right here with her, for the first time since she had left Gallifrey?

She leaned against the Master and he wrapped his arms around her instantly, kissing her forehead softly.

“What if we simply tell it to destroy itself?” she finally asked, voice merely more than a whisper. “If we command it like you commanded to freeze time?”

“I'm not... sure,” the Master asked. “Might work.”

“Could we try?”

“Don't you want to... I mean... What if you one day...”

“You're my home,” the Doctor replied shortly. “You always have been. Through all my time on Gallifrey, all the loneliness and absolute boredom, even... even the things I don't remember... you were the one who knew me, understood me, fought for me. I don't need this thing to know that. I should've known it to begin with, but it's... it's...”

“Yeah. I know. It's messing with our minds.”

They looked at each other.

“It won't go without a fight,” the Master finally said and the Doctor shrugged.

“We're stronger.”

They took each other's hand and the Master pulled the orb out one last time with his other, staring at it with a dark glare.

“Not falling for you any longer,” he said through gritted teeth.

They connected their minds and it barely took any effort anymore, not with them being so close, physically and mentally now, and they simply ordered it to burn out. It hovered in the Master's hand for a short moment, glaring white light radiating off it now, but neither of them wavered.

And with a surprisingly quick little “Plop”, the Master was holding nothing but ashes.

“Well... that was easy,” the Doctor noted after a few seconds of stunned silence.

The Master frowned down at the pile of ashes in his hand.

“I think it... knew that it had lost...?”

“It's almost a shame,” the Doctor sighed, as she walked around her console lovingly, putting in coordinates to pick up the Master's TARDIS and then go off into space, as far away from Gallifrey as possible. “So much power... the good it could've done.”

“Power's never good, though, right?” the Master asked, leaning against the console, a loose smile on his lips. “As soon as someone has it, there's someone oppressed. Surely?”

The Doctor gave him an amused glance.

“Are you teaching me about goodness now?”

“Well, I didn't know if you knew. But I'm an absolute expert on the topic.”

“Oh yeah?” she asked, snickering. As soon as they were into deep space, she opened a door, leading the Master towards it carefully. He blew lightly against his hand and they watched the ashes fall into space, leaving sparks in its wake. “Maybe it can still turn good. Get a new start.”

“Like a phoenix from the ashes?” the Master offered, snorting slightly, but the Doctor simply smiled at him.

“More improbable things have happened.”

He kissed her temple with a spark in his eyes.

“No idea what you could possibly be referring to. Now. Where are we going?”

“Oh, I thought Earth,” the Doctor replied innocently. “England. London. 20th century, maybe?”

The look on the Master's face had turned into stiff dismay and she laughed at the sight.

“Well, fine, you pick then. As long as we have beaches to sit on.”

“Beaches?” he asked.

“Yeah, we deserve a break. I say we have a picnic. And there's no force in the universe right now from having that.”

He grinned.

“Beaches it is! I know just the place.”

“Master,” she stated dryly as he lead her through an elaborate garden full of exotic plants and fruit. He picked an exceptionally beautiful, fiery orange flower and gently put it into her hair. “This is your TARDIS garden, isn't it?”

“There's a beach right around the corner, it's beautiful, honestly.”

“There's 700 beach planets in this vicinity alone, why are we in your TARDIS garden?”

“Because this is, and I mean it, the only place in this universe you won't manage to run into some kind of alien threat and run off to save the day. And after all that's happened, I deserve a break from battling for your attention with some triple sized Minotaur or whatever else the universe comes up with. So. Picnic in my TARDIS.”

The Doctor shook her head, but amusement and exhaustion were visible on her face and so she simply nodded.

And as they spread out on her checked picnic blanket, neither of them bothered that it wasn't big enough for two people, her head simply resting on his stomach, as they both closed their eyes, finally allowed to rest and simply enjoy being together again, the Doctor thought that maybe, for one or two days, she could live without any alien threads.

In all fairness – The biggest threat for the universe was currently feeding her with cubes of cheese, anyway. It could do without her. For a little bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand that was this. Honestly, thanks for the few people sticking around. I rarely write this much action into my romance, I usually would've dropped this idea, but it started out when I was in a really grim, dark place, on a night-time depression walk in the rain and somehow took me to a more hopeful place, somehow, so I just went with it, no matter how shitty the action adventure setting might be. Sorry for the Deus-ex-machina approach haha. Hope some people liked it still <3


End file.
